Mass Reading and Reflection today: "The Lord Himself is my Help"

Saturday, September 6th

First Reading: Colossians 1:21–23
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 54  “The Lord Himself is my help.”
Alleluia: John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
Gospel: Luke 6:1–5

Gospel Reading (Luke 6:1–5)
While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a Sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

Jesus said to them in reply, “Have you not read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry? How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions?”

Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Reflection
Among the Jewish people, the Sabbath greeting is Shabbat Shalom. Literally, it means “peaceful Sabbath,” but the meaning runs deeper. It is not simply about rules, but about the fullness of life and rest that flow from God.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that the Sabbath is not about rigid legalism but about relationship and mercy. His disciples pluck grain to satisfy their hunger, and they were accused of breaking the law. In response, Jesus recalls how David, when pressed by hunger, shared the holy bread meant only for priests. The point is clear: God’s law is not given to burden but to sustain life.

Jesus declares himself Lord of the Sabbath. In that bold statement, he reveals that true peace, rest, and fulfillment are found in Him. Observing the Sabbath, or any commandment, finds its deepest meaning when it serves love, mercy, and human dignity.

So we are invited to ask ourselves: Do we treat our faith as a checklist of restrictions, or as a living path into communion with Christ? The Sabbath at its heart is not about empty rule-keeping but about encounter, resting in God, drawing strength from his presence, and being renewed for the life he calls us to live.

May this Sabbath bring us into that rest, not just for the body but for the soul.

God bless, and have a wonderful evening.

-Pal Ronnie-